1939: Hawaiian Islands

The Hawaiian Islands (formerly Sandwich Islands), a United States possession formally annexed in 1898, lie in mid-ocean in the North Pacific more than 2,000 miles from any mainland. Twenty in number, 9 of them inhabited, they stretch for 400 miles from northwest to southeast and comprise 6,500 sq. mi. They are volcanic in origin, the largest active volcano in the world, Kilauea (4,090 ft.), being situated on one. On Hawaii, the largest island of the group by far, is Honolulu, the capital.

The population in June 1938 totaled 411,485: Japanese, 153,539; Filipino, 52,810; Hawaiian pure and mixed, 62,135; Caucasian, 107,099; Chinese, 28,380; Korean, 6,707; others, 915. Thus, Orientals make up more than 2/5 of the population; the Caucasian element has increased more than 4 per cent over the 1930 census, and the Japanese has declined slightly.

The principal products are cane sugar (1,000,000 tons yearly) and pineapples (500,000,000 cans exported yearly). Molasses, bananas, hides, sisal and wood are exported in quantities. Total exports to the United States in 1938 amounted to $96,556,679; total imports, chiefly foodstuffs and manufactured goods, to $101,223,831.

The territory is administered by a governor (J. B. Poindexter, reappointed March 13, 1938) appointed by the President of the United States and approved by the Senate for a term of four years. The Legislature of Hawaii is composed of a Senate (15 members elected for 4 years) and a House of Representatives (30 members elected for 2 years). Its one Delegate (Representative S. W. King, reelected Nov. 8, 1938) to the United States Congress has floor privileges but no vote.

In 1939 two problems arose. The first concerned the maintenance of the quota of sugar exported to this country. It had been threatened by efforts on the part of American producers and refiners to induce Congress to lower the quota of Hawaiian sugar importable. In August Governor Poindexter protested the efforts to reduce the quota in favor of Cuba as discriminatory. The other problem was raised by the abrogation of the 1911 trade treaty between Japan and the United States. By this 'unfriendly act,' it was asserted by the Japanese newspaper Osaka Mainichi, the United States had forfeited the loyalty of more than 100,000 citizens of Japanese ancestry residing on Hawaii and the islands. Speaking for a group of Japanese Hawaiians, Wilfred Tsukiyama, Hawaiian City and County Attorney, replied on Aug. 2 that the People of Japan had no right to speak for Hawaiian citizens of Japanese blood.

On Nov. 17, 1939, new rules prohibiting Japanese warships from carrying cargoes of any nature from Hawaii to Japan and forbidding armed Japanese sentries on American docks there were posted.